Where Do You Look?

[ozski]

Leading up to the pre gates?

 

When pulling out for the gates & coasting?

 

Turing into the gates?

 

Turn @1 ball?

 

Turn @2 ball?

 

I'm asking these questions because some recent testing indicates it does make a big difference. Just curious to find out what other people focus on.

[Wish]

Not sure what you mean by @1ball @2ball but I do not take my eyes off the gates at any point from pull out to the first wake heading through them. I look at nothing else and for nothing else. I use peripheral vision to know where the boat is in relation to the 55s.

[mwetskier]

i look at the gates from pull out to just before turn in but as i initiate my turn in i look specifically @ the left hand gate ball until solidly hooked up

[MISkier]

Leading up to the pre-gates, I am looking downcourse with a glance out of my peripheral at the nose of the boat to trigger my pullout. I trigger the pullout when the nose of the boat is a few feet from the pre-gates.

 

After pullout and in the glide, I am looking downcourse at 2, 4, 6 with a glance out of my peripheral at the nose of the boat to trigger my turn in. I trigger the turn when the nose of the boat is a few feet from the gates.

 

During the turn in for the gates, I am looking at the back of the boat and also at a line that runs inside the right gate ball to a point about 10-15 feet behind (up course from) 1 ball. The initial look is on that line behind one ball to help set the angle.

 

At one ball in the turn, I try to look downcourse with a slight glance to the back of the boat.

 

On my way to two ball, I look at the back of the boat with a slight glance to a point about 10-15 feet behind (up course from) 2 ball. After quick glance at the line behind 2 ball to set the angle, I look at the back of the boat.

 

Not sure if any of this is any good, but that is what I am doing.

[SkiJay]

- I focus on the pre-gates to start the pullout;

- down the 2/4/6 buoy line during the pullout;

- on the gates during the glide & turn-in;

- at a line wide and early of the ball during the pre-turn; and

- on the next ball's boat guides ahead of the boat just before rounding the ball through to the hookup.

 

I'm currently really interested in where I'm looking while I ski too @ozski. But I'm finding that for me, the key isn't so much "where" I'm looking as "when" I change where I'm looking. Dancers and figure skaters pick a spot to focus on while they're spinning. Tumblers, trampoline artists, and trick skiers pick a spot to look at to nail their landings.

 

I'm finding that it really helps my balance if I don't move my head or eyes WHILE making the turn at the ball. Near the end of the pre-turn, when I can see that I'm going to make the ball, if I move my focus to the next reference point BEFORE I make the final turn at the ball, and keep my focus there at least until the hookup, my balance and consistency improve dramatically.

 

Choosing whether to look down the bouy line, at the boat, or across the course is useful for controlling how I rotate my shoulders around the ball (right now the boat guides are the sweet spot for me), but where I look isn't nearly as important to my balance and stack as keeping my head and vision still throughout the finish of the turn.

 

I've also found that playing with where you look and when is really tough to work on while skiing!

[Horton]

I look at the greens as the boat gets to them On the way out I look back at the wakes. Then I look at one ball until I am almost to the 1/3/5 ball line then I look at 2 and so on

[Waternut]

I watch the boat as it goes through the pregates and then I'm pretty sure I look at the gates until I've literally skied through them although I know this is killing me and my consistency suffers because of it.

[ozski]

Years ago I was coached that if you look at the ball you ski to it, I've been experimenting with picking a mark well in front of the ball based on some recent advice from Mr Smith. Picture of old style 1 ball attached. Picking a mark well in front of 1 and 2 gives me the feeling of more time to get the business done but its taking time to change old habits.

[Horton]

@ozski if I know where the ball is I can pick a path in front of and wide of it.

 

More than anything I need my head up and not moving around as in look down course and then and the boat and then at the ball - repeat 6 times.

[CWiedmer]

I look at the 55's to trigger the pull out

look at 2,4,6 quick when I pull out

pick up the gate, ease my way in when the boat is in the right spot

at that point I know I am through or not and on my way to 1

round 1 I look down the line to the boat and to the boat guides on the pick up

same for round 2

 

Seams to work reasonably well.

[ozski]

In the same place my eyes are down by comparison.